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3 Reasons You Need to Stock Up on Houseplants This Winter

December 27, 2017 | Client Care

Scientists agree: houseplants are good for you."JanuFeb” can be grim. The holidays are a distant memory, and now you have to slog through a barrage of dark, frigid days until spring makes its glorious appearance. To escape that persistent winter funk, shake off that heated Snuggie and take a
trip to the garden center. Here are three great reasons to add houseplants to your home this winter:#1 Plants Reduce StressScientists agree that houseplants can improve your outlook. Research suggests that plants have a positive effect on stress reduction, pain tolerance, and physical discomfort — but environmental psychologists aren’t exactly sure why this happens.
It could be that plants simply make a room more colorful and attractive. Or, an indoor brush with nature may provide the same natural high and stress relief people feel in the great outdoors. There’s even a name for the phenomenon — biophilia (a love for nature) — and entire buildings have been designed to recreate it.
Keeping all those green guys alive is good for you, too. Research has shown taking care of plants can increase a sense of well-being and reduce stress.

#2 They Freshen the AirWinter means tightly closed windows and stuffy quarters. Plants reduce stale air by producing oxygen. But also, according to research done by NASA back in the late 1980s, certain plants will even filter harmful pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene,
and ammonia from the air. Some folks get headaches, asthma, or have chronic health issues from these VOCs (volatile organic compounds) — which could be off-gassing right this minute from your furniture, cleansers, and flooring! Just knowing that could make you pretty depressed.

#3 Houseplants Can Beat the BluesBest of all, having a houseplant (or a dozen!) can boost your mood in winter months. Here are some great choices:
Anthuriums. These beautiful flowering plants are super easy to care for. “They do need a decent amount of light, but they
bloom consistently — especially during the February-March doldrums,” says Rebecca Bullene, founder of Greenery NYC, a botanic design company experienced in indoor plant installations and living plant design.

“They’re big and beautiful. Those with red, pink, or white flowers are most common.”

Ferns, particularly the Kimberly Queen (Nephrolepis obliterata) and Boston (Nephrolepis exaltata) varieties.”They need a bit more water and a decent amount of light, but they put a lot of humidity back in the air and will help make your space comfortable,” Bullene says. Plus, the Kimberlys are a little easier to care for than the average fern. “If you
forget to water for a day or two,” she says, “they won’t crash out.” Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum).This hardy plant can handle the low light of winter. “It can be in a dark corner and still look amazing,” Bullene says. “The blackest of thumbs can take care of this plant.” Golden Pothos or Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum).This plant is also a hardy one that’s hard to kill. Bullene recommends it for anyone without much experience with plants.

Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Sword Plant, or Snake Plant (Sansevieria).This houseplant of many names is really drought-resistant. You can water it once a month and it grows in high or low light. “There are a lot of varieties that have cool shapes and colors,” Bullene says. So when the weather outside is frightful,
make way for some greenery and invite some friends over. Call it a Houseplant Happy Hour. You just may be surprised by how genuinely happy your greener home makes you all winter long.
TOPICImprove,By Room,Yard & PatioSTACEY FREEDwrites about homes, design, remodeling, and construction for online and print national trade and consumer publications, including “Better Homes & Gardens.” Previously, she was a senior editor at “Remodeling” magazine. Follow Stacey on Twitter.